Shadows and Daylight *A Riku Story*

[Miss Murder]

*Message here, and rate /10, ALL COMMENTS AND RATINGS ARE WELCOME, even minor critisicm, as long as it can make me a better writer, if that's needed. Thanks. BTW, this is my first FF.*

Here are the ratings for the chapters so far:

*Chapter 1: 9/10, 10/10*
*Chapter 2: 10/10, 10/10*
*Chapter 3: 9/10, 10/10*
*Chapter 4: 9/10*
*Chapter 5: NO CURRENT RATING*

Prolouge:

Nothing but darkness can be seen from his eyes as he fights for reasons of his own...
During the time of Riku, Sora, and Kairi, while Riku is still in the dark... At The World That Never Was...

Chaper 1: Shadows Unseen

Riku sped through the World That Never was, looking...looking...Looking for what? he said to himself as he coninually fought the heartless and nobodies that appeared before him. No one ever learns...that you can't beat the very darkness in every heart.

A particularly large heartless appeared in front of Riku. Riku stopped for a split second, but then threw his blade out in front of him, destroying the beast, and then once again continued along, always fighting, always looking. Yet, for what? It was a question he coninually asked himself, questions, in fact.

It's been a while since I last saw Sora or Kairi...I wonder, have they fallen into the darkness yet? Riku wondered. Always running, always battleing and fighting... I wonder...have they given into their own darkness? There is darkness in every heart, and it's only a matter of time before the person gives into their own darkness, succumbing to it's will, and being engulged forever in it's shadows...

Rain was falling hard now, and the blazing lights, so out of place in the shadowy world, could still be seen through Riku's blindfold. Why does the light have to harm? The darkness harms no one, yet it is suductive. Had Riku given in yet? Or was he still fighting for friendship, and for the reasons he began fighting in the first place? Only I know.

Riku could feel the rain on his skin, dripping down from the hair that hung in his face. His covered eyes gazed over the nightmarish town, always seeking, always needing...always in the shadows.

"Ah, Riku. How glad I am to see you have returned..." A voice spoke from behind Riku.

"Who's there?" Riku asked without much emotion and without turning around.

"You know, Riku. You've always known. I've been inside of you, and outside. You know me, and I know you better than you know yourself." The voice replied triumphantely.

"Only I know myself." said Riku, turning his head slightly in the voice's direction.

Whoever the voice belonged to put a dark, gloved hand on Riku's shoulder. "I am you."



*End of Chapter one. I know, it may have been a little short, but message here and rate /10. Thanks!*

[Miss Murder]

So, anyone have any comments? And, do you think that I should continue writing it, or not? Yeah, well thanks and all.

[sora_luver]

wow... really cool... I liked it, it's true it could be a little longer and you made a little bit of spelling mistakes but in all it's pretty interesting 9/10..... definitely keep writing!!!:thumbsup:

[Miss Murder]

OK, here's chapter 2. Thanks, sora, for the comment. Keep this thread aliiiive!
Anyway, here it is:

"I am you." The voice replied, it's gloved hand still on Riku's shoulder.

"What?" Riku turned around then, and stared into the face of the one he knew all along was the owner of the voice: Xehanort. Riku could already sense his presence, and he didn't need a clear vision of Xehanort to recongize him. Riku calmed down a little, but then asked coldly, "What do you want here?"

Xehanort chuckled. "What do you think? The darkness in your heart called to me, Riku, and now I'm back. You knew it was coming for a long time...and it was unavoidable."

"You can't be back. Not now, and not here. It doesn't make any sense...besides, anything can be avoided somehow." Riku's hands were in fists, and he was ready and alert to go into a battle once again. I'm not about to let him...become...me again. he said to himself.

"Oh, but you are so wrong. Fate, destiny, and darkness are the three unavoidable and unchangeable entities in the universe. There is no other, and nothing else." Xehanort said, his eyes glaring down at Riku darkly.

Riku's expression turned to a grimace. "I'm done with you here. Leave me, now."

"Now YOU are ordering ME around? Who do you think you are talking to, boy?" Xehanort snickered, but then said, "I'm not here to fight, Riku. As much as I would like to, I can't. You see, of course I'm back...in a way, but with me, so is Xemnas."

Riku lowered his weapon, which he had raised but seconds before. "Xemnas...is back too? But how?"

"How am I back? How is he back? How do shadows seem to follow you everywhere you go? All related questions, but none are important at this point in time." Xehanort stood tall, in his proud stance.

Riku shook his head. "What makes you think I'll have anything to do with you, now, then, or ever?" He was still ready to attack at any moment, and figured that if this carried out much longer, he would attack anyway. "What is your reason?" he said, a little louder.

Rain was still falling all around them, but it seemed to fall slightly slower, the world seemed a little darker, and time itself appeared to stop for a moment, as Xehanort said, "Because Kairi's involved again, too."

Riku stepped forward menacingly. "What do you mean, she's involved? You bastard, what did you do to her!" Riku leaped forward, and with his weapon, struck out to Xehanort.

Yet, Xehanort parried Riku's attack with his hand, which seemed to be engulfed by darkness. "Not, yet, Riku. Save your attacks for later." he said simply, in an almost infuriating way.

Riku landed, and spun around quickly so he was still facing Xehanort. He straightened up again, and now his face was half-covered by the shadow of a nearby building. "Where is she?" he said quietly. "And what about Sora?"

Xehanort frowned. "Sora? SORA! Don't say his name in my presence. I had it all planned out, and I had everything in place, but then SORA came bursting in and ruined it all!"

Riku gave a half-grin. "Thank god, he did. If he didn't, then we wouldn't have been able to defeat your heartless self, Xemnas."

Xehanort moved so that he was on Riku's left side. "As true as that may be...Sora isn't aware of this, at the moment, at least. We may choose to inform him later, but for now, he is in the dark." he snickered again at this statement. "But, Kairi is safe...also, for now."

Riku twisted his head in Xehanort's direction. "What do I have to do." he said quietly. "It doesn't mean I'll do it...but where is she? And what do you want, anyway?"

Xehanort turned around, facing away from Riku, so that their backs were to each other. "Kairi is being held captive, of course." he paused, and then continued, "My problem, is that, since Xemnas and myself have returned, we can't be being destroyed again at any time soon."

"What's your point?" Riku said quickly. He didn't overly like where this was going.

Xehanort turned back to Riku, and Riku turned back to Xehanort. "You see, we have a little LIST of ours..." he was smirking again, and it sickened Riku to his core. "A certain little list of names. Names of people who would initially pose a threat to Xemnas and I. These people, you understand, must be killed, simply put."

"And you need someone to do your dirty work for you." Riku said for Xehanort.

"Exactly."

Riku looked to the dark, paved ground. "Who are the people?"

Again, Xehanort walked around Riku to his other side. "Just some people that Sora was involved with in his journeys. No one, really. You just seemed like the type of person who might enjoy taking on a task like this one."

Riku shook his head. "Of course, you would think that. How can I do this? I'll be like...like..."

"Either a Grim Reaper, a bounty hunter, an assassin, or..."

"Or a heartless." Riku finished for him, and Xehanort just smirked agian behind Riku's back.

"Exactly."

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't, then Kairi becomes a heartless...or worse." Xehanort threatened.

What am I going to do? Riku asked himself. I can't let Kairi get hurt, I've already gone through all of this to save her! So...I only have one choice. He turned back to Xehanort. "I'll do it."


*End of Chapter two. Remember, message and rate /10.*

[sora_luver]

great chapter... I'm glad you made it longer ^_^ can't wait for the update!!! and for this chapter I give you 10/10.... very exciting

[Miss Murder]

Thanks much, glad to see at least one person is reading it...but than again, it takes a little while for threads to become popular. I'll write the next chapter soon. :3

[sora_luver]

sweet can't wait... and don't worry I'll make this thread popular...lol

[Miss Murder]

Chapter 3: The Grim Reaper
"What you must do, is very simple."Xehanort had told Riku. Travel, yet again, to the many worlds, searching for these individuals who pose so great a threat to Xemnas and I, disposing of them in whatever way you see clean or fit. Be aware that these deeds may become violext, as you may have to resort to drastic measures... I give you this list, for you to follow. Know that I will be watching you, and if you so choose to not obey my commands, your precious Kairi will befall a terrible fate...

Unlike Sora, Riku could not journey in any sort of a Gummi ship, so the way he journeyed was by the dark portals of the heartless and Organization XII. Before he left, Riku looked on the list, and read the first name on it, and the first world.

"Hercules? And....HADES? What?" Riku said outloud, and turned around to question Xehanort about this, but he had already disappeared. Riku was puzzled for a moment, but then remembered what Xehanort had said earier,This list is a list of names of individuals who pose a threat to Xemnas and myself...

"So..." Riku said. "This just means that the villans pose a threat to them, too." With that, Riku stepped forward, into the dark portal, to the first world that would serve has his first destination for bounty hunting, and reaping.

In Olympus Colliseum -
Riku arrived midday at the Colliseum, in the courtyard near the entrance to the arena. Large statues towered over him, and for a second they reminded Riku of Xehanort. ...remember, I'll be watching you... he had said. Riku's blindfolded eyes narrowed at the thought of that creep staring at him constantly.

"Now, where may Hercules be?" said Riku, more to himself than to anyone else. He looked around, then, finding no one around, entered the arena gates. Upon entering, he found a small, goat-like creature. Riku stepped up behind it, and drew his sword. Am I going to kill this small, puny thing, too? Riku asked himself, and then, deciding against it, simply took his sword and pressed it against the goat-like man's neck.

"Where is Hercules?" Riku whispered, and the goat-creature pointed to the arena. "He's....in there, training." the creature replied shakily.

Riku smiled and threw the creature to the ground, and strode into the arena.
Even to his blindfolded eyes, the arena's light was nearly blinding, yet he could sense and hear a man training for combat. "Hercules?" Riku said as he walked up behind the Olympian.

Hercules turned around, and his charming smile faded as he saw Riku's face, and his dark attire. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Hercules asked in his broad voice.

Questions I asked but minutes ago... "I've come for you. And your head." Riku said, and drew his weapons, jumping in the air, and positioning one of the blades to it would land directly in Hercules's neck, and the other so it would stab through his heart.

Hercules grabbed ahold of the blades, and brought Riku down to the ground, intending to crash him into the earth, but his idea was ruined when Riku regained his balance and landed on his feet. "Who sent you! Hades?" Hercules shouted as he and Riku became entranced in a deathlock.

"Actually, I'm here for him, too." Riku said, whispering it into Hercules's face.

With a grunt of rage and disgust, Hercules tried to fling Riku away with his strength, but, in a swift series of movements, Riku turned his blade in his hand sharply so that it sliced Hercules's palm, causing him to release that blade, swung around to Hercules's back with one blade free in his right hand, the other still locked in the deathlock with Hercules, and with a loud shout, dug the blade deep into Hercules's chest, eventually digging it all the way through to his heart.

Hercules fell to the ground with a thump, releasing Riku's other blade. Riku's expression was grim has he wiped off his blade of blood on a fragment of cloth that had been convieniently lying around, probably for cleaning the many statues and pots that were in this area.

"Hey! Nice job there, Mr. Smooth! I would've taken Herc there out a long time ago, but it's great that you came along when you did. Just great." Hades appeared behind Riku in a puff of grey smoke, and he put a blue and grey hand on Riku's shoulders. "Talk to me, will ya'!" he said in his usual infuriating way of speaking, turning Riku around to face him.

"Ooh, nice blindfold, there, buddy." he commented. "Yeah, you'll make an excellent replacement for that runaway Cloud, or the rebel Auron. I found him now! Whoop-dee-top-dancin'-doo."

Riku held his head high. "Hades? I need to speak with you..."

"Of course, you need to speak with me, who doesn't?" Hades said, leading Riku away from Hercules's corpse. "Odd to see that one dead, you might say."

Riku tensed his grip on his blades as he readied himself to attack. When he was just about to, Hades turned to him and said, "Ya' know, kid? You're just what I've been looking for. Now, do you want to come down to the Underworld with me and...sign a few papers? Nothing really, just some signatures."

When he turned back away from Riku again, Riku said in his cool way of speaking, "I would like to, Hades, but you see, I'm already here on a contract."

"You're wha-" Hades got no further as Riku attempted assassination on the demon. "Whadda you doing, kid?" he shouted, his blue flamed hair turning red. "No one, and I mean NO ONE, messes with Hades!"

With that, Hades summoned fireballs in his hands, and flames seemed to be nearly engulfing him. Riku got a better grip on his blades, and then ran forward to meet the Ruler of the Underworld in a deathmatch.

Riku swung both of his blades like windmills, and turned his arms so that it was almost like his very own body were a deathly illusion. Riku gritted his teeth together as he jumped into the air yet again, as it was his fighting style, and stabbed both of his blades forward.

One of these, Hades caught with a now-bleeding hand, but the other Riku stabbed into Hades's other arm. "Ugh!" Hades grunted in pain, and in that moment, Riku swung his other blade, which had now been dropped by Hades, diagonally through his chest. "Ugh...no...you, demon." Hades said the ironic words as he collapsed in a fury of dying embers.

Without another word, Riku turned around, and, pulling out the list, checked off the first two names in their own blood. When Riku turned to leave, he found three figures in the entrance: The goat-like creature he had seen earlier, a tall, slinky woman, and a winged horse. What the- Riku started in his head. Who are these guys? Some possy of Hercules?

"What did you do?!" the woman shouted, running acrossed the arena to the dead Hercules. "You killed him! How could you have killed wonder boy?"

Riku stared at her through his blinded eyes, coldly, and unresponsivly.

The horse flew forward, and started beating it's wings in Riku's face, neighing wildly, and the goat-creature ran forward with it's head down and horns showing, intending to ram Riku.

"What the hell is going on here? Are you all a bunch of freaks or what?" Riku said, drawing his weapons again. "Don't make me kill you, too." he held his head up. Riku didn't want to kill more people than necessary, even if they were annoying.

The woman stood up. "What do you think you're doing here, barging in, and....and KILLING him!" she made a gesture over to Hercules's body. "Who do you think you are?"

Riku couldn't very well tell her his real name, so he said, "You may call me the Shadow." Oh, yeah. THAT'S original. He said to himself. But, it does work, considering what it is I'm doing here. And, turning, he didn't give the girl, horse, or goat...thing...another look or word, he simply summoned the portal, checked his Death List, and moved on into the next world, who would soon be seeing their own apocalypse of terror and death...

*End of Chapter three*

[sora_luver]

wow cool chapter.... No Riku isn't supposed to be doing this sorta stuff.... :cry: poor hercules....but Hades did get what he deserved.... 9/10 for this chapter....

[Miss Murder]

Yeah, I know, but I'm just giving the classic KH story, and the character of Riku a twist, plus I have a good idea for the final few chapters that would work out well.

[sora_luver]

sweet can't wait... hope everything turns out okay for kairi... and riku

[Miss Murder]

Thanks, I'll probably be writing the next one sometime tomarrow if I get the chance

[Zetsumi]

...Not bad. It's generic, and nothing really catches your attention, but it's a good, flowing story, and it makes sense.

You get bonus points for not including any reference to alchohol, drugs, sex, homosexuality, or the like. Such a fanfic is a rare thing nowadays.

I'd like to see where you're ultimatly taking this, rather then just a set of battles at the start. IS there any ultimate end in mind, or is it just an all-out Slaughterfest?

[Chaotic Symphony]

Man , this is awesome stuff.I'll give a 10/10 for all your past chapters.Big fan of Dark Riku.Update soon!!

[Miss Murder]

Yeah, there is a ending that I have in mind, but I won't quite say it yet. But, it's probably guess-able. Oh, well, I'll write the next one the next time I have time.